WESTPORT — A 39-year-old Massachusetts man traveling through town early Friday was charged with stealing a minivan in Rhode Island.

Local police received an alert about 3:30 a.m. Friday that a Honda Odyssey — previously reported stolen in East Providence, R.I. — was seen traveling north on Interstate-95 near the Greenwich border.

A short time later, the vehicle was spotted by a Westport officer near the highway’s Exit 17.

The driver, identified as Luis Benitez, of Plymouth, Mass., stopped after being signaled to pull over by the officer, police said.

Benitez told police that he had purchased the van from a friend and was not aware it was stolen, according to the report. But police in East Providence confirmed the vehicle was the one reported stolen in that city.

Benitez was placed under arrest by Westport police and charged with third-degree larceny (motor vehicle theft).

He was held on $5,000 bond and scheduled to be arraigned later Friday at Superior Court in Stamford.